


You'll always be my favorite ghost

by BaronetCoins



Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Beauty and the Beast Elements, Cayde's dead but it's fine, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, Inspired by Hades and Persephone (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-09 11:15:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21897985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BaronetCoins/pseuds/BaronetCoins
Summary: Once upon a time, there was a special old house on the edge of an ancient city. It housed a group of soldiers, chosen by a god to serve and defend. There had always been three at the helm- a scholar, a warrior, and a rogue. Now, this city was near surrounded by a forest. Not any forest, but one of deep and dark magic. Those who entered were said never to return, save for a lucky few whom the beast living inside spared.
Relationships: Cayde-6/Male Guardian (Destiny)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kangoo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kangoo/gifts).

> So, sometimes you get a crazy idea while eating a pomegranate and think "oh huh! that'd be a fun little one-off." and then it consumes your life for like a month, you abandon everything else to work on it, and it ends up as the longest thing you've written for Ao3 to date. Anyway, Enjoy my hades+persephone AU.
> 
> Title from "Big God" by Florence + the Machine

The forest was a thick tangle, as black and sticky as pitch. Razel’s sword, flames and all made only the tiniest gleam of light under the dark leaves that blocked out the light of the full moon supposedly overhead. Still, the path was mostly clear and the movement in his peripheral vision was faint enough he could convince himself it was only his mind having a laugh at his expense. Cubix toddled next to him, long feathered tail dragging on the ground and rustling the fallen leaves they could hear but not see.

A low chuckle brushed through the trees behind them, raising the hairs on Razel’s neck. He whipped around, sword held out in front of him as Cubix let out a loud cry. The forest itself had changed, the light from the sword no longer being swallowed but rather glinting sharply off trunks and flowers that seemed to be made of obsidian. A second laugh echoed just as sharply. Razel twirled, coming face to face with a brightly glowing pair of eyes just outside of his sword’s meager patch of light.

“Well! I didn’t expect to see visitors this evening.” Razel got the distinct impression of an unseen smile, hungry like a wolf. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” 

“What the fuck are you?” Razel snarled, shifting his grip on the sword.

“I suppose it really was too much to hope for a polite adventurer to come stumbling my way one of these days.” The voice sighed. “I take it you’ve been sent here to kill me?” 

“Oh. Yeah?” He abruptly stopped, startled at how resigned the voice had sounded. 

“And I take it there’s no use trying to explain to you how you can’t and telling you to leave while you still can?” Razel sputtered. “No? I was sent on a mission! I have to see it through!” 

The eyes disappeared for a moment as Razel heard a thud on the floor. Apparently, whoever had them had been hanging off of a tree branch above his head. He tried not to think about the possibility of everything else that was hiding up there too.

With a breath of whispered word the other creature managed to coax a faint phantom of light from the surrounding flora. A blush of bioluminescence lit the path just enough Razel could make out the vague, hooded shadow blocking the way in front of him. The cloak managed to swallow all the light of the sword, leaving a simple void. 

“This way.” The figure spoke once more, breaking into a quick stride. Cubix squaked with alarm, but Razel dashed down the path, jogging to keep up with the fast figure. The path twisted and turned until Razel was sure they had to have gone in a full circle, but never came to any forks. Cubix, ever the lone brain cell of the pair was clearly confused too.

Suddenly, sharply, the forest stopped around the edge of a field. It was brighter here, soft moonlight filling the open area. Gentle flowers filled sloping hills around a tall but elegant tower of dark stone brick. They traipsed on in silence, rustling the flowers as the path slowly disappeared. 

Razel could discern more about the figure now. It was tall, somewhat slim, and cloaked. The cloak itself seemed dull and worn, well loved by whoever had made it. As it got brushed aside for a moment Razel caught a glimpse of the handle of something before it was swiftly covered by the cloak. 

The figure motioned Razel inside the tower, even taking special care to not get Cubix’s tail caught in the door. It slipped inside behind them, letting the door fall shut with a clang. The staircase started right next to the door spiraling up towards the upper levels of the tower. Silently still the figure urged them upwards, leading the way. 

By the top Razel had long since given in to carrying Cubix and was gently petting the peacock’s soft feathers. The staircase ended in a pitch black room lit only by the faintest hint of moonlight from the outside. The figure gave a loud snap behind him and from dormant sconces on the walls torches sprang forth, casting shadows across the room. Razel was surprised to finally register that he had long-since sheathed his sword and turned around, ready to strike. 

Instead he was stopped in his tracks by the sight of the formerly unknown figure. The face was illuminated by the newly-blazing torches and shined in the light, reflecting it back at him. Raze’s jaw dropped just a little, halting his swing in his tracks. The other figure chuckled at that, standing with arms crossed. 

“I know right?” He smirked. “I’m just too pretty for the Traveler to let die.”

That snapped Razel out of his haze and he readied his grip again. The other man just stood there, arms crossed and leaning back as the blade smashed uselessly into his side sending showers of sparks off into the air like as many shooting stars. He screamed in frustration, wailing on the other figure again and again. The fire of the blade roared reaching for anything it could grasp but seemed to slide off the figure’s impassive side.

“Are you finished yet?” It asked sarcastically, approximating a raised eyebrow. 

“I was sent to kill you.” Razel found his tongue, fishing it out of where it had apparently landed in his throat. 

“Ah! So he can speak after all!” The figure smiled. “And you weren’t even going to ask my name first? How rude.” 

Razel muttered, suddenly embarrassed. “We’d just called you the Monster of Nessus. Didn’t think I’d have to say anything else.”

The figure tutted. “And I suppose your quest giver didn’t give you anything else useful either? Just a sword, a direction, and a suicide mission.”

“Hey!” Razel frowned, gaining back his spark. “Ikora tried! And the sword was already mine.” 

“Well, you’re stuck here.” The figure leaned further back. “Might as well make yourself comfortable while you’re at it.” 

Razel blinked, confused. The other figure just shook its head, and turned to walk back down the stairs. 

“Cayde, by the way.” It paused, lingering on the staircase.

“What?”

“My name. It’s Cayde.” 

“Oh. You can call me Razel.”

As soon as the retreating figu- Cayde, Razel reminded himself had walked out of sight down the staircase, he began to dig around the room. It was somewhat spacious, subdivided not by walls but big shelves littered with all manner of strange items. Slowly, he traced the shelves, eyeing anything that happened to fall at eye level. Really there was no apparent organizational system at all.

One in particular seemed to be a bookshelf crammed to bursting with books bound in beaten and battered leather. Razel skimmed his hands across them, enjoying the feel on his skin and the smell of old books. It smelled like Ikora’s office and felt like home. 

Behind one corner was a bed, tucked against a bookshelf and awkwardly set against the curved wall, with its sheets lying messily on the floor. Again, on the other side of the bookshelf was yet more leather-bound books. This shelf was far less full and Razel was hit with the sudden feeling of intruding on someone else’s life. He backed out slowly.

* * *

Ikora sighed as she rubbed her palms into her eyes. The office was mostly dark, lit only with the soft glow off one of her floating lights. Ophiuchus was curled up in her lap and snoring softly. With a start she turned to look out her window and realized the faintest hint of dawn was rising in the east. The maps spread across her desk had not become any more helpful and she was starting to get worried by how long it had taken her protégé to return. A soft knock on the door startled her out of her stupor. 

“Come in,” Ikora whispered. The door creaked open revealing the timid face of one of her students, Sable. She sighed deeply as she felt her pounding headache grow stronger. Sable winced as she saw it and seemed ready to flee but held her ground. 

“I saw the light.” Sable whispered apologetically. “Can I get you something?”

“I,” Ikora paused. “I’d love a drink.” Sable ducked out, letting the door swing shut as softly as possible. She turned back to the maps covering her desk and glanced back up at the chalkboard that made up one wall. Nothing about the spiral of the forest seemed to work together- the composite of the maps showed paths that lay on top of each other, dead ends galore, and entirely new paths that generated on their own and then stopped without ever once touching one of the others.

It was a test, a tangle of trails sent to trip up anyone who tried to treat it as anything more than a forest. She’d heard, hoped really, that the path was straight and narrow as long as you didn’t bother trying to keep a map. Not even one in your head. That had been, of course, one of the considerations that made Razel the right agent for the job. One could say many kind things about him, but to imply a level of profound intelligence would be nothing more than a lie. 

However, he was expedient and even a complicated quest wouldn’t usually take him more than a month. It had been three months and Ikora was ready to charge in blindly after him. Unfortunately, Zavala had already outright banned the idea of sending more Guardians on her little “suicide mission” and she couldn’t afford to leave her post. Heavens knew that without her to help guide the warlocks, things would take a turn for the worse.

The door creaked back open, shaking Ikora out of her stupor. Sable carefully balanced a tray on top of one of the smaller stacks of books lining the back of her desk.

“I wasn’t sure whether you meant water, tea, or alcohol, so I brought a little bit of everything,” she said. Ikora reached for the mug in the center and pulled it to the coaster next to her inkwell. 

“Thank you”. Ikora breathes the smell of tea and cold morning air.


	2. Chapter 2

By the time Cayde has climbed back up the stairs, Razel was in position perched on one of the shelves. As soon as he saw the tip of the hood ready to emerge he lept down, making to slice through the neck and get a clean decapitation. Instead it bounced off like he was slapping a piece of rubber. Razel screamed in frustration. 

“I did try to tell you.” Cayde turned around with a smile plastered on his mechanical face. He reached up to rub his neck. “That did hurt a little though.” 

Razel, never one to listen to reason hefted his sword again. The light thrown off by the blade shimmered up and down the exposed metal. It highlighted once again the craftsmanship that must have been involved in making the automaton. He threw himself out of his stupor and swung once more.

Cayde sighed. “I promise, I’m not trying to hurt you! If you could get out, I’d let you. I just don’t get to make the rules.” 

“You’re a monster.” Razel snarled, but with less of his usual enthusiasm. “You’ve been stealing our people for _years_.” 

To his credit Cayde made a fair attempt at looking shocked. “I’ve only seen one or two people come this way in all my time. I assure you, I am not stealing _anything_.” 

“So what’s all this?” His arms swung wide to indicate the shelves filling the chamber. The words were spat out of his mouth “What else besides your trophy case?”

“Just mementos. Things I found around the forest.” Cayde says, the simple smirking mask sliding back across his face. He leans back carefully. “A lot of stuff gets left behind out here.”

Razel taps his foot a little, his energy reserves overflowing. “How can I even start to trust you?” He asks, Cubix raising his tail feathers beside him. “When everyone I know has told me about the monster living in these woods!”

“How many of them have met me?” Cayde seemed a bit exasperated. “For most of you, I’m just a legend, right?”

“Say that to the Firmins! Their mother went missing a year ago. Or the Duponds- heaven knows they’ve been struggling with their eldest son vanished into the woods!” He screamed, pointing the sword at Cayde. 

“I swear, I’ve had nothing to do with it.” Cayde shrugged. “The woods are strange. People get lost.” 

Razel just snarled and pushed him to the side before charging down the stairs. He took them two at a time, leaping down the spiral staircase with complete disregard for the near pitch darkness and the lack of a guardrail. Cayde simply stood at the top, watching him. Cubix trailed behind him, fluttering down to keep up with the tall man’s long strides. 

He burst out the door, sword long since sheathed. The open field felt larger than it had before more oppressive with its emptiness than the beautiful flowers would suggest. Razel bent to scoop up Cubix and ran for the treeline. By the time he reached it, his legs burned. It felt like it had taken hours just to cross the strip of meadow. 

The cold air was like a slap across his face. Still he forged on to trace the outer edge of the forest and look for the path. By the time he’d wrapped around in what felt like a full circle he had made up his mind to simply forge his own path. 

Razel moved Cubix to perch on his shoulder and took a running swing at the branches. His sword swept through them like butter. For the first time in days a smile settled on his face- the sort of wild grin one associates with a peculiar kind of mania. Sword blazing, they forced their way through the forest.

* * *

“You must understand- With our situation as it is we can’t afford to jeopardize more Guardians.” Zavala said calmly. 

“We can’t _afford_ to leave one of our best missing in action!” Ikora snarled. 

“To go into the forest is a suicide mission. Razel knew the risks.” The weariness in his voice was clear. Ikora simply smelled blood.

“If you don’t appoint a force, I will go there myself.” She shot him a look. 

“We’re spread thin as it is-”

“He has been missing for _6 months_.” She spat. “What happened to looking out for our own? Or did you ever really care about more than your precious maps and charts.” 

“He was a mistake! An accident!” Zavala’s voice rose. “One I will not have us repeat.”

“6. Months. And you have the gall to call that an ‘accident’?” 

“It was a mistake on all of our parts.” He frowned. “Blaming yourself is a useless endeavor.” 

“You lost an employee. I lost a friend.” 

“We lost a part of our family, Ikora, and we both know it.” The glint in his eyes sharpened. “The Vanguard is already split and overwhelmed. To lose another one of us would mean the end of the Guardians. The end of our city.”

“If we begin to leave people behind it will be the end of us too. I am coming out of that forest with Razel, or not at all.” 

Ikora took to her heels and strode out of the room, not giving him the honor of a slammed door. Ophiuchus dashed out behind her, running a little to keep up with her long strides. The badger nipped at her as they entered the armoury, eyeing the shotgun she removed from a case on the wall. 

When guardians loitering in the hallway saw Ikora leaving the building armed and furious they leapt out of the way. She didn’t stop to acknowledge any of them on her march towards the forest. In her peripheral vision, she saw a few start to form a party stalking after her.

_Good_. She thought, a grim sort of satisfaction painted across her face.

* * *

Razel had long since lost track of where he had entered the forest. The trees seemed darker than they had before, an inky black that swallowed the light of his sword. He’d cut himself on one of the rough edges his blade had left and the stone-like tree was sharp enough to draw blood. Cubix brushed against his thigh, too anxious to stop touching the Guardian. A shared shiver passed down their spine as Razel stepped underneath a particular bough. 

When he moved to take another step he found his feet caught in vines. They pulled at him, threatening to drag him down more and more with each movement. Unfortunately, Razel had never been good at keeping still. 

By the time he was up to his chin, he’d already started making his peace with death. Een Guardians knew they would die eventually, and Razel had come so close to the brink before it seemed surprising even to him he had made it this long. Of course, it did make the loosening pressure a surprise.

Slowly he felt the vines retreat until a pair of arms gently hoisted him out of the pit. Razel, shocked, simply leaned back into them. He’d experienced stranger dreams. The person lifting him let out a muttered curse and with a final pull, Razel came free. 

Despite his protest in the form of behaving like a dead weight, the other person dragged Razel out of the forest. Cubix fluttered down from his high perch to land on top of his guardian’s limp body, causing the figure to laugh. The bird preened a little, happy to get some attention. 

Slowly the forest began to thin out as they made their way towards the forest’s edge. Razel could feel it getting less and less bumpy. When he felt the transition to flowers, however, his relief vanished in a sudden burst. He began to thrash wildly.

“Whoa there.” A sickeningly familiar voice yelped and released his shoulders. “No need to throw a fit.” 

Razel scrambled on the ground to face him. “Says the man who dragged my body around.”

“I mean, I’d prefer to say rescued you but potatoes, potatoes.” Cayde smiled, a crooked grin. “You could always say thanks.”

“Thanks to my kidnapper?” Razel growled. 

Cayde raised his hands in surrender. “I’d just like to say- I told you so. These woods don’t take too kindly to escape attempts.” 

“Let me go, or I will kill you.” 

“When I say ‘I can’t do that’, I’m not kidding around! These woods don’t just listen to my every whim.” He seemed remarkably exasperated. 

“Well, it’s simple then.” Razel sheathed the sword.

“What?”

“Prove it.”


	3. Chapter 3

Luckily for their efforts, a few of the Guardians had the foresight to bring torches. Mostly her Warlocks, Ikora was pleased to note. The forest had rendered their efforts more or less moot, however, choosing to simply absorb any light not magical in nature. Their party was advancing simply by the dim light of a few enchanted blades and a ball of fire floating above someone’s palm. 

When they had entered Ikora made the decision to forgo the path in favor of cutting their own. She took point, leading her somewhat motley crew of about 7 guardians and their familiars. They followed her without question. That, she supposed, was her one gift from a cruel universe.

* * *

“Alright.” Cayde nodded.

Razel paused, blinked, and looked up. “You’re agreeing?” 

“Are you kidding? It’s the most interesting thing I’ll have done in years!” Cayde grinned. “Enter the forest? Attempt to leave? Probably die horribly? Sounds like an adventure. At least, if you aren’t going to chicken out on me.”

“Only if you do.” Razel sticks out his tongue and twirls to march back into the forest. Cubix squacks angrily at the repeated walk as he hurries to catch up. Cayde simply chuckles a little, trailing behind the odd pair. 

As soon as they stepped through the forest closed behind them. It was as if water had been thrown over a flame, casting the whole forest into shadow. Razel watched in his peripheral as Cayde’s hand slowly moved towards his hip. The cloak he wore covered most of the movement in his hands but the flutter of nervous fingers was unmistakable. Razel walked a little giddily, feeling the same adrenaline nearly light his body on fire. 

When he turned around Razel could pretend Cayde was his shadow. The other man didn’t make a sound. Not a single cracked branch or rustled leaf. Even Cubix seemed to be taking the mood into account and stayed oddly silent. All of it was far too tense and left Razel wanting to _scream_. So he did. 

“What the hell?” Cayde sounded shocked. 

“It was too quiet.” Razel shrugged. “I made it not quiet.” 

“Ah, hence the screaming.” He nodded. “You planning on continuing that?” 

Razel paused for a moment, considering his options. “I don’t know.” 

Something crinkled in Cayde’s face- a momentary glimmer behind the metal mask. He cracked his familiar smile. “Not one for stealth I see.”

Razel snickered, ready to add another silly remark when his foot landed hard on a branch. It’s crack sounded like a gunshot. Behind him Cayde’s hand drifted even closer to a handle tucked under his cloak. 

Of course, the beast didn’t have the decency to come at them from the front or even the side. The thing simply hurled itself at their backs, clawing and biting at Cayde’s cloak. It managed to bowl him over and had positioned itself above his throat. 

Razel took a running leap and came at it with the sword. The monster went flying with the force of the blow, ramming into a tree. It growled at them before, in a lighting-quick instant, transforming into an enormous viper. Razel scrambled backwards, trying to get a good angle to come at it with a sword.

The viper coiled, focusing on Razel. He watched in slow motion as Cayde’s hand reached into his cloak and yanked out a pistol, taking aim at the center of the viper’s head. The bullet struck just before the snake could. Razel whooped with joy. 

Just as quickly the snake turned into a lion. He cussed and swung the flaming sword with all his might. It glanced off, taking the momentum of his swing with it. Cayde took two quick shots, landing one each in the lion’s eyes. It turned towards him and growled. 

“I suggest we run.” Cayde shouted. Razel jumped over the lion, using its back as a vault to propel him further. His sword lit the way as they stumbled helplessly back through the forest, ignoring their previously cut path. As soon as they were moving back towards the tower the beast seemed to relent a little, content to just amble instead of sprint. 

They crashed through the outer barrier of the forest, tumbling to a stop. Cayde was lying spread eagle on top of Razel, who was busy trying to pick his sword back up without moving. If he was being honest with himself, he wasn’t too opposed to the arrangement they had come to. 

“So,” Cayde panted. “Do you believe me now?”

"Yeah," Razel said breathlessly, taking Cayde's hand and jumping to his feet. "That was fun! We should do it again soon!"

"How about we don't do that anytime soon." Cayde grinned. "I'd be happy to head back though. Maybe fix some ramen..."

"Ikora told me not to eat in here. Said I wouldn't really need to." He looked disappointed. 

"Your loss!" Cayde checked his pistol in its holster. "We should probably head back though." 

He shrugged in response, ready to start the trudge back up to the tower. Cubix hopped up into his arms expectantly, angling for a scratch. Razel laughed, reaching to pet him. 

"Nice bird." Cayde nodded approvingly. "What's their name?"

"Cubix." The peacock nestled further into his arms. "He's a needy little bastard. Cute though." 

Cayde leaned over, ready to pet Cubix until he caught himself. "He's a very handsome bird." 

Cubix preened under the attention. Razel laughed again, loud and boisterous. The flowers around them rustled with a slight breeze, and Cayde smiled. 

* * *

The first person they lost was to a tree. The guardian in question, a titan, was bringing up the rear when the rest of the party heard a muffled thud. When they turned around the titan was gripped in the limb of a tree, unable to speak. The other titan grabbed their sword and attempted to cleave off the attacking branch but when they brought it down the branch was simply no longer there. Still higher the dangling titan was lifted until the party could no longer make out even a vague outline.

When 30 minutes and two hunters found nothing they decided to try and evacuate to cut their losses. And thus the party fell to 7. 

* * *

"So how did you get all this stuff?" Razel asked idly while playing with Cubix's feathers. 

"I've been around for a while." He shrugged. 

"But if you can't go into the forest then where are you getting it?" Razel glanced up, eyeing the way the lamplight fell off of Cayde's face. 

"See, that's not strictly true." Cayde looked up and out through the window. "It's no ordinary forest, right?" 

"No shit." 

"It can almost kinda read your mind. I can't leave the forest. Doesn't mean I can't go into it now and again. The difference is all in the intent" His fingers were tapping on the table, beating out an off-kilter rhythm. 

"Do people really leave that much stuff in here? I mean, nobody even goes into it in our city." Razel's attention had shifted to tracing the lines making up his companion's mechanical face. 

Cayde paused a moment, stilling. "Based on what I've found I always figured it didn't quite fit in with real geography. I expect it's sort of... tethered?" He trailed off. Razel's face quickly shifted to confusion. 

"Let me try again. I think the forest itself is sort of separated from reality, right? And I think it attaches itself to the normal world in a lot of places. Because yes, I agree there is far too much in there to just have come from your city. Maybe some of those places just use it as a garbage dump.

Doesn't really matter how it got here though- I never see anyone drop any of it off. It’s just objects- neat things from the forest.” He shrugged.

“And what are the books?” Razel leaned back and yawned, feeling the weight of all the activity pile upon him. 

“Those are uh… my journals.” Cayde’s fingers started drumming on the table. “Nothing special.”

“All of them?” Razel wracked his brain. “There are a lot of them.”

“Time is weird here. Sometimes I think it’s faster.” Cayde shrugged again. “Other times it slows down. Day/night cycles don’t seem to be a thing either.” 

“How long do you think you’ve been in here?” Razel perked up, concerned. “How long has it been since you saw someone?” 

“Long.”

* * *

Another two guardians fell to some kind of wolf-beast. They were carried off screaming into the night while the others tried uselessly to land blows of some kind. Ikora screamed after them, several years of pent up rage funneling into one wordless cry. They kept walking. 

Thus did the party fall to 5

* * *

Razel rolled over restlessly from his position on the floor. “What do you even do?” He whined. 

“Go out mostly.” Cayde shrugged. “But I doubt that’ll work with you tagging along.”

He screamed, hands pressed against his head. “I’m bored.” 

“Cards? I’ve gotten a little sick of solitaire.” He reached into his pocket for the deck tucked into it. 

“I don’t know how to play.” Razel looked down at his hands.

“No time like the present.” He carefully shuffled them, letting the cards dance across his fingers. “Patience? Spit? Durak?”

“Oh! I remember Spit.” Razel brightened. Cayde started dealing out the cards, laying them out evenly. A particular glint entered his eyes. With a flash, they began slapping down cards, racing each other to empty their hands. When Razel revealed his empty hand, Cayde blinked at him for a few moments. 

“You won?”

“I think so?” Razel blinked back at him.

“Who taught you how to play?” He leaned back on his hands, staring at the other with new eyes. “You play like me.” 

“Ikora! She always said she missed playing cards, but Spit was the only one I really liked. I get bored if they move too slowly.” Razel smiled softly. 

“She seems like a good teacher.” His voice was hesitant. 

“She was! She used to beat me all the time, but I’ve been getting better.” He beamed. “She told me she was proud of me.” 

* * *

The next two peeled off slowly, simply fading out of her peripheral vision so imperceptibly she started to wonder if they had ever been there. When she turned to stare behind her, eyeing the two remaining people left, they shared a look. It shared more than any words could have. Words meant noise, noise meant detection, detection meant death. Those were the easiest- the ones she could pretend had been tricks of her imagination.

And thus the party fell to three

* * *

They talked for hours, sometimes with cards and sometimes without. Razel talked aimlessly about his home and his job, his friends and his hobbies, his favorite restaurants and bars. Cayde was an animated storyteller with a collection of tall tales to rival any grandfather. He delighted in the chance to entertain, gloating in the amount of attention the other man gave him. 

Razel would stare at him rapt, eyes glowing like he was looking at the moon itself. As time wore on they grew closer and closer, ignoring the vast space of the room in favor of orbiting each other. There was no conversation, no exact moment where they clicked. Simply a slow slide into the kind of comfortable silence that only joins two people who know each other well.

* * *

The second to last one simply left. He told her he was going home and she let him leave, watching him until he strayed out of sight. She never did see him again.

The last one snapped one day. She threw herself at Ikora, sword drawn and aiming for her throat. She stepped back, trying to reason with the near-feral woman, but it was of no avail. When one final lethal looking lunge came for her throat, Ikora’s instincts shot her before the rest of her brain could send the order.

Thus did the party fall to one.


	4. Chapter 4

With a last thrust Ikora burst through the forest’s edge, her eyes darting quickly around to take in the area. She quickly spotted the tower rising above the plain of flowers, eyeing the clear advantage whatever was within it would have, and opted to just get there as quickly as possible. 

She blinked across the field, Ophiuchus tucked against her side. The closer she got to the tower without projectiles raining down upon her, the more surprised she was. At the same time her paranoia grew until it was almost a distraction. It took all her force of will to tamp it back down into its proper place in her arsenal. 

Softly she let the door breathe open with her hand tight around the handle stuck into her belt. When she felt no tripwire and heard no explosion she let herself slip through. The stairs spiralled upwards in front of her. They quickly faded into the darkness, becoming one with the black stone of the walls.

Ikora let out a soft, almost audible sigh as she realized it would be near impossible to blink without a clear sightline. Trudging up the stairs it would be. Still, she kept her eyes peeled. There had been reasons most of her opponents compared her to a hawk- some found her most intent gaze unsettling to be around. She didn’t care. Not when there were battles to be fought and wars to be won. 

The trudge skyward was somehow both shorter and longer than she had expected. Ikora had slowed a few times, trying to get a read on what she would be facing. Most of the time she could sense other Guardians but something about the atmosphere seemed to be blocking her like a thick fog. 

Or maybe he was just dead. 

She burst into the upper chamber of the tower, ready to seize the element of surprise and warp it to her will. With a visceral snarl she leveled her shotgun with the head of the tall figure right in front of her and had almost squeezed out a shot before she registered the face has familiar. 

“Ikora?” Razel squeaked out, clearly confused. “What are you doing in here?”

Her hands didn’t shake as she kept it pointed at him. “What do I put in my coffee?”

“What?”

“What do I put in my coffee. Answer quickly.”

“You drink tea though.” Razel had raised his hands to float by his face. “WIll you please put the gun away?” 

Slowly she let it drop until it was out of his face while still keeping it ready. “What happened? Where have you been?” 

Razel had just opened his mouth to answer when from behind one of the bookshelves a head poked out. In the same lighting-quick instant Ikora had the figure within her sights. 

“Come out where I can see you. Hands up.” Her eyes steeled. The figure complied, its steps slow and steady so as to not trigger her movement. 

“No need for that kind of attitude.” It remarked in an oddly familiar voice. “Is that how you treat an old friend?” 

“Into the light. Hood down. Move those hands slowly.” The figure complied and for the first time she caught a glimpse of the face. Decades of training, of a possibly unhealthy but useful paranoia were all she could grasp on to to keep her aim from slipping.

“Hi, Ikora.” The figure kept its hands in the air. “It’s been a while.”

“Why do you have my friend’s face.” She spat the words at him, less question than an accusation. 

“So we aren’t friends anymore?” Cayde kept his voice measured.

Ikora’s voice was straight and sharp, pointed at him like a blade.“Why would we be? You took my friend from me! My brother!” 

“I’m still Cayde!” He replied frantically. “Still me in here!” 

Razel’s head whipped back towards Ikora, trying to gauge her reaction. Instead he caught a single glimpse of her finger tightening around the trigger. It made a loud blast that shattered the twilight quiet, sending a ball of crackling purple energy towards Cayde’s face. He flew backward straight into the wall. The impression left spiderweb cracks on the stone but he staggered out mostly unharmed. She growled and tossed her gun to the side.

"Stop!" Razel yelled. "You can't hurt him! You'll just blow us both up." 

"Out of my way." Ikora turned to him and snarled. "I'll deal with you next."

He rushed her, anxiously pulling back her hand. "He didn't hurt me! He's a friend!" 

She turned, pausing momentarily at his words. Razel seized the opportunity to try and reign in her anger. 

"He helped me find my way Ikora." He said. 

Cayde pulled himself up to his feet, hand going for the pistol at his side. He pulled it out, taking steady aim at her head. Razel saw the movement and leaped between them, using every inch of his height to block their line of sight. 

"So you didn't just take his face. You took his gun too." Ikora's palms started to crackle with the same purple energy. "Couldn't leave anything for the rest of us. Not even a body to bury." 

"It's me, Ikora." His expression was pained. 

"Prove it." 

"Your name is Ikora Rey. We met when I fell out of the ceiling and onto your desk in the library. You drink green tea from one of those funny little mugs with no handle." He took a deep breath. 

"The last time I saw you, you told me that what I was doing was 'suicidally stupid'. Your chalkboard had some kinda math about circles on it. I laughed, and you handed me your letter opener. Told me that you wanted it back coated in the blood of the beast." 

He held out a small silver object in his hand. "Sorry." 

She reached out for it, purple energy slowly fading out of her hand. He released it gently into her palm. 

"Will somebody explain what is going on?" Razel threw his hands up. 

"It's a long story." Cayde leaned back against the wall, forced air of nonchalance back in place. 

"You always were one for tall tales." Ikora smiled, half fondly and half grim. 

* * *

_Once upon a time, there was a special old house on the edge of an ancient city. It housed a group of soldiers, chosen by a god to serve and defend. There had always been three at the helm- a scholar, a warrior, and a rogue. Now, this city was near surrounded by a forest. Not any forest, but one of deep and dark magic. Those who entered were said never to return, save for a lucky few whom the beast living inside spared. The forest had grown over the years, gradually swallowing all roads out of the city save one. The soldiers, the Guardians saw that something would have to be done. The most senior of their leaders, the Warrior, had wanted to work on defending the last safe road. The second most senior, the Scholar, thought their weakness came from their lack of knowledge. She wanted to study the forest, to work on understanding it. The Rogue? He thought the best plan was to enter the forest and slay the beast._

_While the other two would bicker about resource allocation and the best ways to assign shifts, he would slip out and walk around the outer edges of the forest. For hours he would study it, looking for traces of the beast. It consumed him._

* * *

"Ikora?" Cayde knocked on her door. "Can we talk?" 

"It's late, Cayde." She said by way of an answer, though there was no spite in it. The mechanical man slipped through the doorway, standing awkwardly in front of her desk. 

"I'm doing it tonight." He tapped his foot on the floor. "Figured I should at least give you my resignation in person." 

"This..." She sighed. "This is criminally stupid. Almost suicidally so." 

"I know." 

"I can't back you up." 

"I know."

"So." Ikora looked up at him. "You need to win." His mouth opened in shock but he didn't make any sound. She opened her desk drawer and pulled a long silver object out of it. 

"Ikora."

"I know if anyone is crazy enough to do this, it's you." She slid it across the desk towards him. "I expect to see you back with this in hand." 

He nodded wordlessly and slipped back out the door. 

* * *

_One night, the Rogue crept from the ancient mansion on the outskirts of the ancient city. He had a path in mind, one of the few leading into the forest that more or less always stayed the same. The moonlight followed him, glancing off his metal skin. With the same quiet movement, he placed his first foot in the forest._

_Instantly the tone of the world around him shifted. The dark was thick and viscous, like walking through blood. The canopy of trees above him blotted out all that was left of the moon. Anxiously he touched the gun hanging by his hip and the pack of playing cards tucked into a pocket. _

_He walked through the woods, purposely keeping his mind as blank as possible. It was rumored that those few who had been let out were the ones who hadn't tried to navigate or make their way through. Those who simply stumbled? They occasionally walked in circles until they stumbled out of the forest, week and tired but alive. _

_The further the Rogue got into the forest, the less familiar the trees began to look. They took on a quality of crystal or stone, glimmering in the moonlight and looking sharp enough to cut yourself on. He shivered a little at the sight of them, glinting despite the near pitch darkness. All he could see was a few feet ahead of him. _

_The rustling of trees started soon after. It was with a start that he realized the forest had been silent until before. His ghost Sundance, a long, sleek ANIMAL padded by his side, winding tightly around his legs. Her nose poked up into the air, darting back and forth. Cayde's hand danced closer to his gun once again. _

_The rustling grew louder. His ears perked up, straining himself for any sort of sign of the beast. When the rustling faded he actually sighed and continued walking down the path, a little more confident. _

_That was when the wolf leaped towards him. It slammed him down onto the ground with hardly a thought. The breath of the creature was hot against his neck, and loud. His hand tried to squirm towards the knives stuck into his thigh but the wolf snapped at him. _

_The rogue writhed in its grip, trying to worm away. The wolf laughed the laugh of a man and tore out his throat. _

_And thus, the Rogue was slain. _

* * *

_And thus did the Rogue awaken. His cloak was torn and his body sore, but he was alive again. Anxiously he looked around for Sundance. He called again and again, searching for her in the woods. When he heard no response he continued forward. With a start, he broke through the woods and into plain full of flowers. _

_The flowers swayed softly in a faint glimmer of moonlight. They gently sloped in low, rolling hills towards a tall black tower. The field was somehow grey, without color within it. He staggered towards it, a hole in his heart where Sundance once was. _

* * *

_In the city, the scholar paced and fretted. For years she waited for a sign of the Rogue whose mission she had blessed. She wondered if she had done something wrong. If she had gone with him, or refused even the slightest help, or begged him not to go. As each day passed with no sign, she threw herself back into the puzzle of the forest. _

_When three years later to the day, a new Guardian arrived on her doorstep with the strength to rival a mountain and a penchant for fire, she knew the beast had met its match. If she couldn't save her friend, she would avenge him. _

* * *

"Cool." Razel sat back up from his position lounged against the wall. 

"Did you remember any of that?" Ikora raised an eyebrow. 

"Probably half?" He shrugged. "I got enough." 

"This was supposed to be my savior?" Cayde's eyes twinkled. "Can't believe I meant so little to you."

"Too. Soon." She hissed. 

"Ikora?" Razel wrapped readjusted himself to be leaning against Cayde. "How were you planning to get out?" 

"I... didn't get that far into the plan." She admitted with a pained look. "I thought killing the beast would let one escape." 

"We all got attacked by different monsters though." Razel frowned. "So, if there is one 'Beast', we probably haven't met it yet." 

Both of them looked at him surprised. He shrugged. "I get the occasional idea." 

"Nobody who makes it this far makes it out. Razel's and you are the first to get as far as the Tower. Near as I can figure, this is the center of the whole deal." Cayde's fingers started to drum against his leg. 

"What was in here when you first arrived?" Ikora's eyes got the light of a puzzle coming together. 

"A bunch of old junk- most of the stuff back in that corner." Cayde waved at it. "Why?"

“I have a hunch.” She walked back towards the shelves. “And for now, that’s all we have.” 


	5. Chapter 5

Ikora spent like hours digging through the shelves, searching for something. Cayde watched her nervously, and Razel chose to simply sleep on top of him. The pile of discarded trinkets grew larger and larger to her left, with nothing making it past her preliminary inspection.   
"Nothing?" Razel frowned. "What are you looking for?"   
"If this is the center, then there's probably a reason." She turned around her. "Why do people bring build fortresses?  
"To protect things." Cayde frowned a little. "Or to keep things out."   
"And this is hardly fortified, so It's probably not to keep something out. The forest itself seems fairly self-contained. Ergo, I thought it could be protecting something." She said.   
"Nothing stuck out to me when I got here." Cayde started to nod. "So, back to the drawing board?"   
"What about downstairs?" Razel asked, casting his glance between the two of them. Both of them gave him a slightly quizzical look as he dashed down the staircase.   
"There's nothing down there!" Cayde hollered after him.   
"Have either of you checked?" He sprinted downwards, taking the steps two or three at a time. The other two started after him, a little more cautiously. Together they hurtled to a stop at the bottom of the spiraling staircase.   
They stood, looking down at the faint imprint of a trapdoor. Ikora paused.   
"I feel as though I am not welcome." She frowned thoughtfully. "Maybe you two should go on ahead."   
Razel nodded and lifted the trapdoor with one burst of strength. Beneath its dusty surface was a yawning portal of black. Cayde picked up a chip of rock from one of the walls and dropped it down as they both stared at it. It made a loud clink after about a second.   
"Well, there's a bottom!" Razel turned back to smile at him, igniting the sword and dropping down the hole backward.   
Cayde blinked at Ikora. "Is he always like this?" She nodded, and with a sigh, he jumped down.   
He ducked and rolled to absorb the momentum as Cubix gently fluttered down to the ground. Razel's sword was casting a dim patch of light through the hall. Cayde glared at him, rubbing his hands together and producing a small ball of flame. Together they walked towards what they assumed must be a doorway, as it was darker than the rest of the room.  
The chamber had the underground quality of dampness that marked them as being in a cave. Besides that, there was no indication that they were anywhere other than the forest.   
"What're we looking for?" Razel looked at him.   
"I don't know." Cayde shrugged, holding the light a little higher to catch more of the environment.   
The doorway quickly narrowed into a hallway, with no forks to be seen. They slipped into single file with Razel taking point. It was a long slow march into another chamber. This one was dimly lit by a pair of torches across the room. On the opposite wall was a golden door covered in the pattern of an enormous tree laden with golden fruit.   
Razel dashed across the room, sword nearly forgotten by his side, to inspect the door closer. His hands danced across the surface. At his touch, one of them opened to reveal the interior of a real pomegranate. Cayde stood behind him, eyeing the thing. He looked along the line of the branch, spotting a faint line of words.   
Many seeds become two saplings, two saplings become one tree, growth becomes the key. He read out loud, fingers tracing it above Razel’s head.   
“What does that mean?” Razel looked up curiously.   
“I reckon we have to eat it.” He looked pained.   
“And Ikora told me I shouldn’t eat things in here.” He stared at the other man.   
“A dead end?”   
“When have I ever listened to instructions.” Razel turned back to the wall, pulling out twelve seeds from the pomegranate. He split them in half, handing six to Cayde. Before the other man could stop him he downed them all, chewing and swallowing with vigour. Cayde ate them a little more cautiously.   
They both turned around, ready for the door to split wide open. For a long several moments they stared painfully in the silence. Cayde reached out, both pushing and pulling the door to no result.   
“We have to be missing something.” He muttered to himself quietly. “What are we missing?”   
“Two saplings become one tree.” Razel looked at him. Cayde looked back up, staring at his eyes. “Can I try something?”  
“Be my guest.” Cayde stared back down.   
Razel leaned in, awkwardly pulling them closer together. Clumsily, he kissed him. Their noses bumped together at the odd angle and Razel wasn’t quite sure how he felt about the metal of Cayde’s face but overall, it was pleasant.   
Cayde made a little noise of surprise that was quickly swallowed up by the click of the doors opening. Reluctantly he pulled back to check out their prize. Razel had already ducked through the door and into the next chamber. He was standing in front of a towering tree, growing strong despite the near-total darkness.   
In the faint light, flickering with the fire from Razel's sword, the pair could see a giant globe hanging in the center of the tree. Razel stuck his sword back in its sheath and clambered up the side of the tree trying to get a better angle. Cayde took his glowing light and threw it into the air, letting it banish a few more of the shadows from the room.   
The sphere, more clearly observed seemed to be a globe. Though some sections were still gleaming bright gold, others were covered in some sort of dark substance. It cringed away from the light Cayde had made, clinging tight to the shadows cast by the other branches.   
Razel squinted at the globe, trying to make out words around the thick black tar. It obscured much of the labeling, making it seem like the world itself was cracked into pieces.   
"Try using more light!" Cayde hollered up at him from the ground. He nodded and concentrated, trying to bring a small and controlled ball of flame into his hands. Instead, his entire hand lit on fire, but it didn't spread. Satisfied enough he started to wave it around the globe. Slowly the dark, pitch-like substance retreated, letting him make out words labeling the globe. With a start, he recognized his own city and the neighboring towns they still kept in contact with. It had almost been swallowed by the darkness until he burnt it away.   
When he pulled back the globe was shining once more. The tree itself started to move around him, lowering a branch to be right in front of his face. Cayde started to scream for him to be careful, but it stopped before it could touch him.  
“Uh.” Razel raised his hand as if to give the tree a high-five. “Hi?”  
It dipped lower, as if it was bowing.   
“Are you talking to me?” He asked excitedly.   
It nodded.  
“Cool!” His eyes widened. “Are you the forest?”  
It nodded once more, leaves rustling.   
“Can you let my friends and I out? Oh! Can you also leave the city alone?”   
It nodded, another branch dipping in front of his face. The leaves on this one were tinted slightly golden in the light. They were almost pressed into his open palm, and three drifted slowly to land in his hands.   
“Thank you!” Razel tucked them into a pocket and leaned up, hugging the tree tightly. It lowered him down slowly, dropping him neatly onto the ground. Cayde’s mouth stood open, staring at him as he gave the tree one last pat on the trunk.   
He let himself be led by the arm all the way back into the main room. Razel practically bounded up the ladder that had mysteriously appeared behind them. Ikora almost threw herself into a hug when he appeared at the top, wrapping him tightly to her chest. When Cayde poked his head out from behind the taller man, she threw her arms around him too.   
“What happened?” She stepped back, inspecting the pair. “Did you find anything?”  
“We ate some pomegranate then I talked to a tree and then it gave me these!” Razel carefully presented the three gold leaves to her.   
She glanced at Cayde. He nodded, confirming the account.   
“I suppose it’s our best bet.” Ikora turned, striding out the door. Razel jogged a bit to keep up with her long steps. Cayde fluttered a bit nervously behind them, casting glances back and forth like he was worried something would jump out from the shadows.   
When the first of them took a step into the forest, all three held their breath. When nothing leaped out, aiming for their throats, the rest filed in after Ikora. They huddled together for a moment, hearts in stomachs as they waited for the other shoe to drop.   
Slowly the path began to glow, lighting up with a soft bioluminescence. Razel took point, sword lit to show a little more of the path. Behind him Ikora’s stride betrayed none of the nervousness that was pressing almost physically on the party. Cayde in the rear had all of a gunslinger’s grace, his eyes peeled.   
The trail did not diverge. They met no forks, no turns, no bends or switchbacks impeding their progress. Instead, it was smooth and straight, a glowing blue line running on for what could have been feet or miles.   
The forest was silent around them. None of the telltale rustle or snap of broken sticks could be heard. It was as if they were the only beings in the woods.   
In what may have been hours or may have been minutes, Razel caught a glimpse of sunlight in the distance. With a start, he broke into a sprint. Behind him, the other two matched his pace in a mad dash for the exit. They tumbled a little, tripping over loose stones.   
Razel came to a crashing halt just outside the border of the woods. Ikora managed to pause more gracefully, though Cayde made use of her shoulder to stop himself.   
Razel blinked at the sudden brightness, unsure of how to react after near-constant twilight. It stung, but only in the way a hot shower stings. He held out his hands as if he could feel the light dance across them, warming him. He hadn't even known he was cold.   
A whimper cut through their moment of triumph. He turned to see Cayde doubled over as if he was about to fall over. From his neck, the mechanical man dripped loose parts and oil as if they were blood. He pawed frantically, feeling at the gaping hole.   
Razel rushed back over to support him, leaning the weight of the shorter man against his side.He ripped a chunk of his robe off, holding it up to stop the loss. Cayde refused it, motioning back towards the forest.  
"Can't." His voice gurgled. "Leave."   
"We just escaped!" Razel wanted to scream. "We made it!"   
"Have." Cayde's knees started to buckle. "Go back."   
Razel nodded, turning to help him limp back into the forest. They stood just inside the cool interior, watching as Cayde's neck started to fix itself slowly. The pain was gone from his face, though his eyes still looked to be in the throws of something.  
"Razel." Cayde took his face between his hands. "Thank you for trying to save me. It just didn't work this time."   
Razel could feel himself tearing up. "It should have. This was supposed to be a happy ending."   
"You have to promise me to leave. To go out and live your life. Turn around and don't look back." He smiled a little, though it was pained. "Just remember me alright?"   
"Of course." Razel leaned in for one more kiss. Cayde gladly obliged. When he pulled away he shoved Razel towards the exit and started to run back into the forest.   
For the second time, Razel fell out of the woods and back into the world. Ikora was standing there, pointedly not having seen the previous exchange. She nodded wordlessly at him and started walking towards the mansion on the outskirts of town. Razel sat in a field and cried.


	6. Epilogue

_Once upon a time, there was a special old house on the edge of a city. It housed a special group of soldiers, chosen by a god to serve and defend. At one point, it had been almost eaten by a forest full of dark and terrible creatures. The most dark and terrible of all was a beast. Then one day, a young man entered the forest, hoping to slay the beast._

* * *

Zavala had been holding down the fort as best as he could for the month or so Ikora had been gone. The city hit a rough patch, one of the worst months for attacks they had seen in years. When she entered his office, looking more or less no worse for wear, he was unashamed to admit he almost cried. His reaction, much as she had expected was a mix between that of a concerned parent and one of barely constrained fury. 

When over the next few days the forest began to shrink back she explained to him what had happened. They watched from the top of the house as slowly but still visibly, the forest relinquished its grip on the landscape. A few roads were uncovered as were some old houses and buildings. Zavala muttered something about needing to assemble search teams and she simply laughed, knowing it was the closest to an apology or a thank you he was capable of making at the moment. 

* * *

_While he was in the forest, the young man did the one thing he was warned not to do. He ate the fruit of its trees. Simply six seeds from a pomegranate. What harm could they do?_

* * *

About 6 months of real-time after they had emerged, Razel began to get sick. It was slow at first, a cold mixed with melancholy that was strong enough to leave him speechless. It developed into something more, with aches and fevers wracking his body at all hours of the night. The Guardians weren't used to illness and this frightened them. 

* * *

_He finished his task, saving the village. In the celebration, almost everyone forgot about the seeds. This was a mistake. _

With the fevers came dreams. Often before he had dreamed of his time in the forest, but never as vividly or as powerfully as he did now. As the slip between lucidity and hallucination became easier and easier he would beg to be let back in. 

Ikora often fretted over him, coming to visit him where he lay. One day as she lay sitting by his side, she started to listen to his murmurings. It clicked, setting off a whirring string of thoughts in her head leading to one conclusion. The myths were true. 

* * *

_The thing about fruits is that they have seeds. The thing about seeds is that they make roots. The thing about roots is that they don't like to let go. _

* * *

Razel knocked loudly on the wall just before he entered. Cayde poked his head out over the banister, gun aimed at his face. Raze smiled sheepishly. 

"Hi." 

* * *

_The thing about eating the fruit of the forest is that once you do, a part of you will always belong there. _

_Once upon a time, there was a young man with a sword of fire. For six months of the year, he would live with his husband in a forest of darkness and gloom. For the other six months he would leave, to stay with his friends in the other world. This suited the young man perfectly- after all, he had always loved change._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're here, thanks for reading this pile of nonsense to the end.

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas Kangoo,  
Thank you so much for letting me run wild with your OCs, and supporting me on this crazy project. I hope you enjoy it, and I hope your holidays are wonderful. 
> 
> Joyeux Noël!


End file.
